Freshbox Frenzy: Feed Your Appetite. Nourish Your Community

I seem adept at creating opportunities for others so continuing with that habit, today, I introduce you to Lindsay Warren a food enthusiast and general raconteur on the “reg”. Story by Ms. Warren. Photos and consumption by CMH Gourmand. The scene: the workplace at one of my jobs.

Recently I introduced my co-workers to a new lunch option that is not only really delicious but meaningful to our community as well: FreshBox Catering. This boxed-lunch business is the brainchild of dear friend of mine, Joe DeLoss, Chief Sandwich Operator and Social Enterprise Director of the Lutheran Social Services of Central Ohio. It’s his vision for profitable social change and gusto for delicious, fresh food to come together to create this dynamite win of a catering business. Let’s discuss.

First, a boxed lunch from Freshbox is not what you found in your superman lunchbox when you were 10. Freshbox delivers a tasty little package comprised of sandwich, pickle spear, kettle chips, apple, and (drooling as I type) a chocolate-covered Oreo. There are six sandwich options served on either ciabatta or wheat bread. Or, if you’re going the bread-free route, their signature salads are served with all the above yummy extras, too.

We placed our order a day before delivery by ordering online. The next day our Freshbox delivery person navigated through the maze of our cubicle farm to deliver our lunches. Everything came perfectly as ordered, on time, fresh and ready to be devoured. Having just celebrated their first anniversary, Joe and his tiny family of lunch-boxers are doing a great job of keeping up this reputation of great service. Just take a look at Bloomberg Business Week – Joe is a 2010 finalist for America’s Best Young Entrepreneur!

Our small group hit almost every sandwich option on the menu.

The Red Caprese features fresh mozzarella, tomatoes and roasted red peppers on ciabatta with basil pesto on the side. So simple, so delicious, and so satisfying. A great vegetarian option!

The Prime lays on layers of roast beef with roasted red peppers, provolone and shaved red onions. The side of horseradish aioli is super-important, don’t be shy about loading this on!

We did a little family-style sharing of the Roasted Red Pepper Hummus served with cucumbers, tomatoes and warm, chewy pita bread. Some of our co-workers were weary of what they might get for $9 but they were wowed by their meals. Considering the quality of the ingredients, the cause and the delivery, they found the price to be reasonable.

In the Freshbox job-training model, employees learn everything from important food safety techniques to engaging in the banking system. The aim is to find people with a disadvantage in the workforce (someone that is homeless, a person with a developmental disability or other barriers to entry level employment) ann opportunity to build job skills or create a fresh start. Not only is Freshbox serving us tasty little lunches, it’s empowering our friends in need with job skills that will carry them to independence. So if you’re looking for a new lunch option, go no further than the church basement kitchen of Freshbox, located at the corner of 3rd and Broad Streets downtown. No doubt you will be delighted with the quality of your lunch and you will be satisfied with contributing to the purpose behind Freshbox!